Chapter 419

Qin Yutong shook her head and said, "It's not just luck; you only see the surface of some things, and if no one tells you, you might never find out in your lifetime."

Translation: Qin Yutong shook her head and said, "It's not just luck, you only see the surface of some things; if no one tells you, you might never know in your lifetime."

It's not just luck, you see; some things you only see the surface of, and if nobody tells you, you might never know in your lifetime.

It's not just luck, you know; some things you only see the surface of, and if nobody tells you, you might never know in your lifetime.

Ok.

Hu Xiaotian felt a sudden curiosity; Qin Yutong seemed to have hidden meaning in her words. Could she also know that Ji Feihua was helping from behind? Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "Miss Qin, your words conceal a deeper meaning; please forgive my ignorance and explain more clearly."

Translation: Hu Xiaotian felt a surge of curiosity; Qin Yutong seemed to have hidden meaning in her words. Could she also know that Ji Feihua was helping from behind? Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "Miss Qin, your words hide a deeper meaning; please forgive my ignorance and explain more clearly."

Hu Xiaotian felt a sudden curiosity; Qin Yutong seemed to have hidden meaning in her words. Could she also know that Ji Feihua was helping from behind? Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "Miss Qin, your words hide a deeper meaning; please forgive my ignorance and explain more clearly."

Ok.

Qin Yutong said, "I heard that for your sake, Princess Anping specially sent Ziju to the Grand Tutor's residence. She went out of her way to deliver a painting to him, and it is said that the painting was originally a gift from the Talented Person."

Translation: Qin Yutong said, "I heard that for your sake, Princess Anping specially sent Purple Cuckoo to the Grand Tutor's Mansion. She specially delivered a painting, which is said to have been originally gifted by the Talented Person."

She specially delivered a painting to him, and it is said that the painting was originally gifted by the Talented Person.

Ok.

Hu Xiaotian, hearing this, couldn't help but feel somewhat bewildered. When Wen Ya gave that painting to Princess Anping back then, he was standing nearby; he remembered clearly that Princess Anping had not accepted it. How could she now be staging a scene of showing up at the door and returning the painting? Only a moment's bewilderment, and he immediately understood Princess Anping's painstaking effort: she must be using this painting to pressure Wen Chenghuan, to make that old fellow abandon his idea of dealing with him. Having grasped the reasoning, Hu Xiaotian felt a surge of emotion. What merit or ability did he have, as the son of a guilty minister, a petty eunuch forced to watch people's faces and act accordingly, that he could actually receive such favor from Princess Anping?

Qin Yutong looked at him with deep meaning, sighed softly, and said, "I remember some of the things you said before; now thinking about it, they aren't without reason." She was referring to how Hu Xiaotian had once blamed her for turning a blind eye to the fate of her good friend Princess Anping.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Everyone has their own difficulties; in fact, I shouldn't impose my own ideas on others."

Qin Yutong said calmly, "Did I hear correctly? You actually started thinking about others."

Hu Xiaotian laughed.

Qin Yutong said, "You say I just watched the tragedy unfold without lifting a finger; surely you have come up with an idea to change this."

Rescuing Princess Anping. Changing the tragic fate of this beautiful princess sounds easy in theory, but actually doing it is far from simple. Although Hu Xiaotian had made up his mind to do so, he still hadn't thought of the most feasible plan up to now; even if he had, he wouldn't dare to voice it lightly. He had known Qin Yutong for quite a while, yet their relationship remained ambiguous. Qin Yutong is inscrutable, always emanating a mysterious aura like clouds and mist. Hu Xiaotian cannot see through her true thoughts, so naturally he dare not place complete trust in her.

Qin Yutong obviously guessed his thoughts, and said softly, "It seems you have no idea either. As a friend of the princess, I only want to advise you: before you have certainty, you must not take reckless risks; you may be irresponsible toward yourself, but you have no right to be irresponsible toward others." Her words were earnest and heartfelt.

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "Miss Qin, where have your thoughts gone? Even I would not risk my own life, let alone drag others into danger with me."

Qin Yutong said, "Let's not talk about this. By the way, what illness does the Emperor have this time? Surely it's not really as the outside world rumors, that there's a blood-sucking worm in his belly?"

Hu Xiaotian asked, "You've heard of it?" Qin Yutong is quite learned in medicine; she can fool others, but probably not her.

Qin Yutong said, "Sir Hu, your medical skills are superb. Could you please explain it to me in detail?" She is eager to learn. She actually harbors strong curiosity about Hu Xiaotian's medical skills.

Hu Xiaotian blinked his eyes and did not answer immediately.

Seeing his expression, Qin Yutong thought she had put him on the spot, and said softly, "If you feel embarrassed, you don't have to say it."

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said, "What's there to be embarrassed about? I've always lived by a personal principle since childhood."

Qin Yutong's beautiful eyebrows rose slightly.

"Mutual benefit: give a peach, receive a plum."

Qin Yutong heard him say this without any surprise; in this world there is absolutely no such thing as getting something for nothing. She said softly, "I don't know what Sir Hu hopes to gain from me."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Miss Qin's skill in making human-skin masks is superb; I would like Miss Qin to give me a few human-skin masks for emergencies." After using a human-skin mask to escape from Xiezhou, Hu Xiaotian has never forgotten this talent of Qin Yutong; whenever he sees her, he wants to obtain a few masks from her to prepare for future escapes.

Qin Yutong said, "Good! I can give you a few masks, and even teach you some disguise techniques, but it depends on whether the knowledge you teach me is worth it."

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said, "It's a deal!" He extended his hand to bump fists with Qin Yutong as an oath.

Hu Xiaotian fetched paper and brush, first explaining the cause and pathology of the Emperor's appendicitis this time, then drawing a partial anatomical diagram on the paper and lecturing Qin Yutong on the entire process of his surgical treatment. Qin Yutong listened entranced; she had studied medicine for ten years and had truly inherited her master Ren Tianqing's teachings, but what Hu Xiaotian said was modern surgical knowledge, which for her was like opening a whole new realm. Listening intently, her admiration and esteem for Hu Xiaotian grew further—truly unexpected that this pampered scion of a noble family would possess such profound medical knowledge.

Hu Xiaotian spoke continuously for nearly an hour, his mouth dry; he poured himself a cup of tea, gulped it down, wiped his mouth, and said, "Wanting a complete understanding of surgery is certainly not something achieved in a day; let's stop here for today. When I return, I'll find time to draw the human anatomical diagram and send it to you, okay?"

Qin Yutong said, "Such a precious gift truly makes me feel overwhelmed with favor."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Give and take—I'll give you a set of human anatomical diagrams, and you give me five masks, how about that?" This fellow certainly won't forget his own terms; he won't work for nothing, and the same goes for Qin Yutong.

Qin Yutong said, "Sir Hu, it's not that I intentionally withhold; I really don't have that many masks—I only have two, and these were personally made by my master. If I went to ask for more, I'd fear arousing my master's suspicion." Although Hu Xiaotian didn't explain, Qin Yutong also vaguely guessed that his request for human-skin masks must be related to rescuing Princess Anping.

Hu Xiaotian, hearing that she could only give him two, felt a bit disappointed inside, but human anatomy in modern medicine is actually not that profound a subject—it's just that in this era one can bluff a bit with it. Although Qin Yutong is somewhat aloof in temperament, she shouldn't lie; besides, she had once saved him in Xiezhou.

Qin Yutong said, "If you're willing to learn, I can teach you the art of disguise; it can come in handy at critical moments."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Good, I'll go back and draw the anatomical diagram."

Qin Yutong said, "When we meet next time, I'll bring you everything you want."

The two agreed on a date for their next meeting, and then Hu Xiaotian left the Imperial Hospital. Before departing, Qin Yutong gave him a list of several medicinal herbs, all of which were unavailable in the Imperial Hospital but could be found in the pharmacy of the Bureau of Imperial Gardens. After just one trip to the pharmacy, Qin Yutong marveled at the abundance of its stores; many of the herbs had lost their potency due to age, which she regretted deeply.

Hu Xiaotian's visit this time could be said to have reaped rich rewards: Qin Yutong promised him two human-skin masks and agreed to teach him disguise techniques, laying the foundation for his future escape. With his medical foundation, learning disguise should not be difficult; once he masters it, he can bring Princess Anping along, change their appearances, and make a clean getaway.

The more Hu Xiaotian thought about it, the more pleased he became, laughing out loud on his way back, head down, not paying attention to what lay ahead, and nearly bumping into someone coming from the opposite direction. He stopped just in time, looked up, and saw that it was the current Left Chancellor, Zhou Ruizhen.

Hu Xiaotian broke out in a cold sweat from shock; the other party was a powerful figure second only to the Emperor, above ten thousand people. He hurriedly bowed and said, "I have eyes but no pearls, I've offended you, Sir; please forgive me."

Zhou Ruizhen showed no sign of blame, smiling at him and saying, "Hu Xiaotian!"

"That's me!" Hu Xiaotian still dared not raise his head. Zhou Ruizhen was a name he had long heard of; today was only the second time they had met, and this was actually the first time they met face to face. Speaking of this Dakang Left Chancellor, the pillar of the Secretariat, his connection with the Hu family is quite deep. Even before he was born, his father had sought to climb the social ladder, trying every way to form a childhood engagement with the Zhou family; but when he was two years old, the fact that he was an idiot spread, and Zhou Ruizhen naturally did not want his daughter to marry such a fool, so he forcibly broke off the engagement. It is precisely because of this that the Hu and Zhou families developed a rift; consequently, when Zhou Ruizhen was implicated in the matter of Long Yelin, Hu Buwei, as Minister of Revenue, took the opportunity to kick him when he was down. Who would have thought that fortunes would turn? The once-deposed Crown Prince Long Yelin successfully staged a comeback, ascended the throne, and the former Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, Zhou Ruizhen, has also been reinstated to importance, becoming the Dakang Left Chancellor.

Hu Xiaotian originally had no intention of drawing Zhou Ruizhen's attention, but he never expected Zhou Ruizhen to blurt out his name outright. Given his status, he couldn't just leave before Zhou Ruizhen did; he had to steel himself, lower his head, step aside, and ask Zhou Ruizhen to go first.

Zhou Ruizhen did not leave immediately, smiling and saying, "Raise your head."

Hu Xiaotian raised his head; Zhou Ruizhen's deep gaze swept over his face—Hu Xiaotian's nose and mouth were aligned, his features handsome, indeed a remarkable talent. Speaking of it, this young man had almost become his son-in-law. Zhou Ruizhen nodded and said, "Since you grew up, I haven't seen you yet; you need not be so reverent. Actually, we're not exactly outsiders; you should call me Uncle."

Hu Xiaotian said, "As the son of a guilty minister, I dare not aspire so high."

Zhou Ruizhen sighed and said, "What your father did wrong has nothing to do with you."

Hu Xiaotian remained silent, thinking to himself, "You're pretending to be a good person in front of me now; my father has fallen to this state, and you old man have certainly contributed not a little." (To be continued~^~)